India & World Current Affairs October 2015 (Part 1)

USA, India and Japan Agreed to Coodinate China Policies

• A decision was taken in first Japan-US-India trilateral meeting held on September 30, 2015 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting that these countries have decided to coordinate policies in addressing China’s increasing maritime activities.
• Japan has expressed strong concerns over China’s rapid ongoing unilateral activities which aim at changing the status quo in the South China Sea. It also mentioned that China’s massive land reclamation projects followed by construction of a facility including for military purposes have further heightened tensions.
• All the 3 nations agreed that the rule of law should be observed and all international disputes should be settled peacefully to maintain peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

India to Hold G20 Chair in 2018

• The G20 member nations took a decision on the Chair for 2018 earlier in September, 2015 India is set to be the G20 Chair in 2018, and New Delhi could host the prestigious annual G20 summit.
• For selecting presidency, a system has been in place since 2010, when South Korea held the Chair. Under it, 19 countries have been categorised into five regional groupings of a maximum of four nations each.
• Turkey is chairing for 2015 and China will 2016, following which Germany will in 2017 and then, the Chair will pass on to India for 2018. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA, EU are the member countries.

Also Read – Smart Practice Current Affairs October 2015 [Part 4].

India Signed Loan Agreement with ADB for $ 123.51 Million

• The government of India signed a loan with Asian Development Bank on September 28, 2015 for tranche 3 of the Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism to continue upgrading tourism infrastructure and services in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
• The third tranche loan is part of the $ 250 million multi-tranche financing facility that ADB approved in 2010 which is $ 123.51 million. The loan will be used for conservation of places of tourist attractions.
• To improve income opportunities for the local communities, more than 4000 community members are set to be trained in tourism-related skills such as guides, crafts, and other recreational activities.

G-4 countries Issued Joint Statement on UNSC Reforms

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a summit of leaders of Germany, Japan and Brazil under the G4 format on September 26, 2015 and pressed for the UNSG reforms within a ‘fixed time frame’ in the current session of the United Nations general Assembly.
• They declared themselves as ‘legitimate’ candidates for permanent membership of the UNSC. In this regard they have issued a Joint Statement. The G-4 leaders stressed that a more representative, legitimate and effective Security Council is needed more than ever to address the global conflicts and crises, Which had spiraled in recent years.
• No substantial progress had been made since the 2005 World Summit where all the Heads of State and government had unanimously supported the ‘early reform’ of the Security Council as an essential element of the overall effort to reform the United Nations.

First ‘Bhagvad Gita Conference’ Held in the UK

• A first-of-its-kind two-day conference on the contemporary relevance of the ‘Bhagvad Gita’ was held in London, UK on September 25, 2015. Indian and British experts came together in this conference with an aim to seek Answers to the “innumerable questions that exercise and confound all of us today”.
• The two-day sessions included aspects such as Bhagvad Gita and Yoga, Impact of Bhagvad Gita on Modern Sanskrit Writings and The Bhagvad Gita—Timeless Values for Today.
• The initiative of bringing together the delegation for the London conference was led by Suryakanthi Tripathi, former Indian ambassador to Spain.

EU Imposed Anti-dumping Duty on Indian Steel Pipes

• The European Union has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty of up to 31.2% on imports of water and sewage pipes from India on September 24, 2015 for six months to protect its industry.
• While, 15.3% provisional anti-duping duty has been imposed on exports by Electrosteel Casting Limited, there would be 31.2% levy on shipments from Jindal Saw Limited and other companies.
• The Commission had initiated an anti-dumping investigation with regard to imports into the EU of “tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron”, used for drinking water supply, sewage disposal and irrigation of agricultural land, originating from India on December 20, 2014.

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